KABT BioBlog

The future of science education: The Next Generation Science Standards

Speakers: Harry McDonald, member of Kansas review committee for NGSS

Date: May 8, 2012

Time: 6:30 pm

Location: Coaches Bar and Grill, 9089 W. 135th Street, one block west of 135th and Antioch, south side of 135th St.

Harry will introduce the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), the currently developing revision of the 1996 National Science Education Standards, their vision, what is necessary for them to make a difference in science education, and the chance for public comment. Harry wants this evening to be a discussion about where our country is headed with science education and what it will take to get there.

Besides serving on the Kansas review committee for these standards, Harry has 32 years experience in the science classroom and has consulted on science education for 8 years.

For more information: biologycctrack@hotmail.com

Here’s one of the Mead’s Milkweed sites at the KU Field station’s demonstration prairie at the Armitage Center.  The plot was recently burned and it is easy to see the marked sites.

Here’s two more sites.  Sorry for the photo quality–I still haven’t mastered my iphone camera….

I went over to Johnson County this evening to check on some lady slipper orchids that I try and monitor each year.  These particular plants went missing for more than ten years.  I refound them last year but I was not able to catch them in bloom, in fact I don’t think they did or the blooms were nipped by deer.  This year however, things are different.

I have become increasingly convinced that these plants and others like them are increasingly at risk due to the high deer population densities in KS.  Several years ago a group of about 8 flowering orchids I was monitoring in Johnson county were all nipped off during one night most likely by deer.  I’ve watch one group of plant decline over the last 10 years to where it has not flowered at all for the past 4 and this year there is only one leaf emerged where there used to be 5 plants.  I don’t know the normal cycle for these perennials but I am sure that repeated deer herbivory can’t be good.  Perhaps it is time to try out a bit of a deer exclosure trial.

Earlier this spring I came across this yard in Lawrence.

A closer look reveals a carpet of Spring Beauties:  Claytonia virginica  What a cool lawn.  That is my kind of lawn weed.

Ever since I saw a similar photo in Kansas Wildflowers by William Chase Stevens of Spring Beauties colonizing a lawn in Pleasanton, I’ve wondered about planting my own seed to create a similar lawn.  Now I have to try.  To that end I have been trying to collect seed–they are very small and they shatter easily.  I found that each flower can produce several seeds and each plant can produce dozens.  I tried to collect a few days too early, decided to wait and now I think I’m too late but I won’t be next year.

Aquatic Nuisance Species in Kansas and the Status of Mountain Lions in Kansas

Speakers: Andrew Jansen and Tim Urban, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks

Date: April 10, 2012

Time: 6:30 pm

Location: Coaches Bar and Grill, 9089 W. 135th Street, one block west of 135th and Antioch, south side of 135th St.

Andrew Jansen will present a summary of the aquatic nuisance species (ANS) in Kansas, including covering the zebra mussel in greater depth focusing on findings from a recent zebra mussel study in Kansas. We will discuss KDWPT actions to prevent the spread of ANS. Tim Urban will cover sightings of mountain lions in KS as well as field identification and sign of mountain lions.

Andrew Jansen grew up in Iowa and became interested in the outdoors and fishing at an early age, receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Ecology with emphasis in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences from Iowa State University and a Master of Science degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences from South Dakota State University.  He has worked as a fisheries biologist for KDWPT in Kansas City for the past 3 years.

Tim Urban grew up in central Kansas with a love for anything outdoors. He graduated from Barton County Community College in 1997 with an Associate’s Degree in Science and Arts, and then went on to Northwestern Oklahoma State University receiving a BS in Conservation Law in 2000. He has worked for the Kansas Dept. of Wildlife and Parks since 2000. He worked at Cheyenne Bottoms and Dodge City, before moving to the Kanas City area in 2005.

For more information: biologycctrack@hotmail.com

Save the Date:  As the weather has us all yearning to be outside as much as possible, its time to put the annual KABT Spring Field Trip on your calenders for June 1st and 2nd.  Join us in the Northern Flint Hills of Marshall County as we set & check small mammal track tubes, learn turtle trapping techniques on Spring Creek, camp and hike at the beautiful and historical Alcove Springs, locate the black squirrels of Marysville, go birding on an small NE Kansas organic farm, and “bio-blitz” our way on a Rails-To-Trails project along the Big Blue River.  More specific details to come via this blog and a postcard sent to the biology teachers of Kansas the first part of May.  Please feel free to comment on this blog with questions or e-mail me at nrbusch22@gmail.com.

Noah Busch – Biology Teacher – Junction City High School

It seems with every passing day comes the realization that this winter is truly the winter that never was here in the central plains.  As I look out my window the redbuds are in full bloom as are the bradford pears and several trees are starting to leaf out.  Planted Magnolia’s are already past prime.  With several weeks of above average temperatures I have been watching several local woodland sites for spring wildflowers.  I thought there might even be a chance that the earliest plants might flower in February.  While False Rue-anemone was up in late February I didn’t actually find any flowering until March 12th after a rainy Sunday.

Yesterday, along with my wife, daughter and granddaughter I got a chance to check out the status of the spring bloom at the Overland Park Arboretum.  Wow,  things have really advanced over the week of high 70′s and low 80′s.  We soon found “carpets” of spring beauty’s and false rue-anemone’s.

Spring Beauty

False Rue-Anemone

Naturally, Cady and her mom decided to capture the ephemerals in photos.

Cady struck out on her own.

I like her style:

The blood roots were just getting started but won’t last long.

Blood Root

The Dutchman Breeches were almost to peak as were the Toothwort’s.

Dutchman's Breeches

Toothwort

Like the Bloodwort’s the Erythroniums were just getting started but they won’t last long.

Erythronium

Last year I shared a post about spring wildflowers with most of these same flowers but the date was April 7th.  This year the flowers are much earlier.  In fact most will be past their prime by April 1.  If checking out woodland spring wildflowers is one of the signs of spring that you monitor each year, you’d best be getting out there.

BW

White Cotyledons on One Seedling

My AP students are growing fast plants, and one of them got this for one of her planters.  The seeds were taken from a random pool that has both purchased seeds and seeds cultivated from past classes.  I don’t have any information on the underlying cause of the lack of color in this plant.  So I pose her question to you all… “What’s the deal?”